Third International Bhikkhuni Day

1. Third International Bhikkhuni Day September 21, 2013

2. This Year Honoring: The Sisterhood of Eminent Bhikkhuni Teacher s and Leaders, Past and Present The ‘Seven Sisters: Spiritual Friendship, Companionship and Sisterhood, Then and Now

3. What is a Bhikkhuni/Bhikshuni? A bhikkhuni (Pali) or bhikshuni (Sanskrit) is a fully-ordained female Buddhist monastic. A bhikkhu/bhikshu is a fully-ordained male monastic. Both bhikkhus and bhikkhunis agree to live by the precepts of the Vinaya (monastic code.) Bhikkhuni ordinations are also confirmed and blessed by the Bhikkhu Sangha. .

4. Bhikkhuni Sisterhood in the Time of the Buddha

5. Some of Today’s Sisters

6. The Seven Sisters

7. Bhikkhunis Listening to a Dhamma Teaching

8. Early Sisterhood

9. ‘Womb’ Sisters and Sangha Sisters

10. Sites associated with the life of The Buddha “Buddhism”, Kevin Trainor, Ed.

11. King Kiki of Kasihad Seven Daughters • Khema • Uppalavanna • Patacara • BhaddaKundalakesa • Kisagotami • Dhammadinna • Visakha

12. Khema Wishes to “Go Forth”

13. Theri-Apadana, Pali source Theri-Apadana attributes Khema to have said, “Now, our father did not give permission, but we, though staying at home, lived the holy life for 20,000 years unwearyingly, remaining happily daughters of the King, devoted to serving the Buddha, seven daughters taking delight.”

14. Enlightenment of the Buddha

15. The Beginning of the Bhikkhuni Order

16. Mahapajapati Gotami and Fifty-two Bhikkhunis Wat Thepthida-Aram, “Monastery of the Heavenly Daughter”, The Bhikkhuni Vihara, Bangkok, Thailand

17. The Buddha Establishes the Bhikkhuni Order • One thing that is well documented is the Buddha’s statement in the Cullavagga, “I allow, Oh Bhikkhus, Bhikkhunis to be ordained by you.” • This was the beginning of the Bhikkhuni order in India.

18. The Fourfold Sangha The Buddha also said: “I will not pass away…until I have bhikkhu disciples...bhikkhuni disciples...layman disciples… laywoman disciples who are accomplished, disciplined, skilled, learned, expert in the Dhamma.” From the MahaparinibbanaSutta (“The Discourse on the Great and Final Passing of the Buddha”).

19. The Four Fold Sangha The four-fold society consists of bhikkhus and laymen (shown on the Buddha’s right) & bhikkhunis and lay women (on his left.) Mural of the Four Fold Sangha The Thirteen Great Arahant Bhikkhuni Disciples’ Wall, Wat Pho, Bangkok, Thailand

20. Many Enlightened Bhikkhunis The Thirteen Great Arahant Bhikkhuni Disciples’ Wall, Wat Pho, Bangkok, Thailand

21. Seven SistersAt the time of Our Buddha • Khema – “Foremost in Great Wisdom” • Uppalavanna – “Spiritual Power” • Patacara – “Vinaya/Discipline” • BhaddaKundalakesa – “Speed to Gain Awakening” • Kisagotami – “Ascetism” • Dhammadinna – “Dhamma Teaching” • Visakha – “Support of the Sangha”

22. Bhikkhuni Requesting Ordination from the Bhikkhu Sangha, Wat Po mural, Thailand Thirteen Great Arahanta Bhikkhuni Disciples Wall, Wat Pho, Bangkok, Thailand

23. Seven Sisters • An Arahant is one who has ended all hatred, craving, delusion and ignorance in themselves, and will never give rise to their suffering for self or other again.

24. Story of Khema in the Time of Gautama Buddha

25. Khema on Impermanence “Those who are slaves to desire are caught in its current like a spider in its self-made web. Those who have severed this go forth, free from longing, abandoning the pleasure of desire.” (Collett, Pali biographies)

26. Ayya Khema Proclaimed by the Buddha as Foremost in Wisdom

27. Uppalavanna Was Known for Her ‘Spiritual Power’ Queen’s Monument to the Enlightened Women in the Sangha, DoiInthanon, Chiang Mai, Thailand

28. Arahant Bhikkhuni Dhammadinna

29. Patacara Learns about Impermanence • “Going along, about to bring forth, I saw my husband dead; having given birth on the path, I had not yet arrived at my own house…. • Two sons dead, and a husband dead upon the path for miserable me; mother and father and brother were burning upon one pyre. • Then I saw the flesh of my sons being eaten in the midst of the cemetery.” • Patacara in the “Therigatha”

30. Patacara joins the bhikkhuni community Great Bhikkhuni Disciples with the Buddha, Wat Po Vihara Mural, Bangkok, Thailand Thirteen Great Arahanta Bhikkhuni Disciples Wall, Wat Pho, Bangkok, Thailand

31. Sisterhoods Past and Present Requesting the Pabbaja from the Bhikkhuni Sangha Thirteen Great Arahanta Bhikkhuni Disciples Wall, Wat Pho, Bangkok, Thailand

32. Spiritual Companionship Sobhana Bhikkhuni, Nibbida Bhikkhuni, Tathaaloka Bhikkhuni, Santacari Samaneri, Suvijjana Bhikkhuni

33. One of the many pillars erected by Emperor Asoka Bhikkhuni Order in India By the time of Emperor Asoka (304-232 BCE), a convert to Buddhism, the orders of bhikkhus and bhikkhunis were well established in India.

34. The Bhikkhuni Sangha in Sri Lanka Emperor Asoka sent his son, Mahinda and daughter, Sanghamitta to Sri Lanka in the 3rd century BCE to spread Buddhism.

35. Bhikkhuni Sangha Spreads to China In 429 CE, Bhikkhuni Devasara traveled from Sri Lankan to China

36. Sri Lankan Bhikkhunis Establish Unbroken Bhikkhuni Lineage

37. One Major Thing Prevented the Spread of the Bhiksuni Order to Tibet

38. Bhikkhuni Sangha Disappeared in India and Sri LankaBoth Bhikkhu and Bhikkhuni Sanghas died out in India and Sri Lankaafter the 15th century Sanghamitta Shrine, Kelaniya, Sri Lanka

39. Ayutthaya Historic Park, the ancient Thai Capital • Bhikkhu Sanghas of South, Southeast and East Asia have been revived multiple times, but the Bhikkhuni Sanghas of Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia were not revived at the same time.

40. I’ve been waiting for bhikkhuni ordination for such a long time… From Santi Forest Monastery Website

41. How did the Current Theravada Bhikkhuni Order Revive?

42. And who are some of the current pre-eminent bhikkhuni leaders and teachers?

43. Mahayana Bhikshunis Helped Revive the Bhikkhuni/BhiksuniSanghasin the Theravada & Tibetan Traditions UnmoonsaBhikkhuni Training Monastery & Sangha College, South Korea

44. East Asian Dharmaguptaka ordination procedural text is almost identical to Southeast Asian Pali-text ordination procedure “In all the Mahayana schools whether in Tibet, China, Korea, or Vietnam, they follow mostly a DharmaguptaVinaya.  Dharmagupta is one of the old Theravada sects. ” AjahnBrahm

45. Bhikkhuni Tao Fa Tzu FirstThai woman to become abhikkhuniin the 20th Century 1908 Born VoramaiKabilsinghShatsena 1955 Ordained as a samaneri (10 precepts) 1971 Lacking full ordination in Thailand, she traveled to Taiwan for bhikkhuni ordination Established Sondhammakalyani Temple outside of Bangkok

46. Bhiksuni Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo 1963 Left London for India to study Buddhism • Second Western women to receive novice ordination (shramanerika) • Lived in a remote cave in the Himalayas for 12 years 1973 Received full bhiksuni ordination in Hong Kong 2000 Established Dongyu Gatsal Ling Nunnery in the Himalayas

47. Bhiksuni Pema Chodron • Born in NYC in 1936 • Graduated form UC Berkeley • Elementary school teacher for many years • In her mid-thirties traveled to the French Alps where she met Lama Chime Rinpoche • Ordained as a novice in 1974 • 1981 fully ordained in Chinese lineage in Hong Kong • Currently abbess of Gampo Abbey in rural Cape Breton, Nova Scotia • Author of many books on Buddhism

48. Bhiksuni Karma Lekshe Tsomo, Ph.D. 1982 Fully ordained in South Korea 1986 Established Jamyang Foundation for the education of Himalayan nuns 1987 Co-founded Sakyadhita (Daughter of the Buddha) International Association of Buddhist Women 2000-present Associate Professor, Theology & Religious Studies, USD -

49. Bhiksuni Thubten Chodron 1971 B.A. History, UCLA 1977 Ordained as a nun in Dharamsala, India 1987 Full ordination in Taiwan 2003 Established SravastiAbbey in Washington State

50. 1998 International Full Ordination Ceremony in Bodhgaya, India Bhikshunis-to-be pay respects to their preceptors, Bhiksunis Thubten Chodron & Karma Lekshe Tsomo